INVENTING & INVESTINGONTARIO WATERPOWER ASSOCIATION STRATEGIC PLAN

2019 - 2021

owa.caAffordable. Reliable. Sustainable.

owa.ca

Collaboration• Indigenous Peoples• Industry Associations• Environmental NGOs• Municipal Partners

STRATEGIC

Strategic planning is about change. Effective Strategic

Plans focus not only on the relentless pursuit of excellence

and opportunity, but the anticipation of key events and an

understanding of the vectors of influence that require us to

define clear expectations, measures and actions.

Collaboration• Indigenous Peoples• Industry Associations• Environmental NGOs• Municipal Partners

INTROWhen the Ontario Waterpower Association developed this Strategic Plan, we challenged ourselves to look beyond the horizon line and imagine what our communities and Ontario’s energy future might look like a generation or more from now. We did so to ensure that we are well equipped to face the future. We also did so because we recognize that the future doesn’t simply arrive, it passes through us and, as custodians of the present, we have an opportunity to inform decisions today that will shape tomorrow. Thinking about the future is critical because Ontario’s electricity system is at an important inflection point. Governments are already facing increased pressures to deal with electricity costs. New and different demands from a growing population, questions about environmental sustainability (and carbon neutrality), the inevitable electrification of the broader economy and the emergence of new technologies are not only shaping but are shifting traditional business models and government energy policy.

As the first source of electricity in Ontario, waterpower is intricately tied to the very fabric of Ontario’s history. It has, for the better part of a century, remained tried and true. Just as those who championed the building of the first hydroelectric facilities, however, we recognize the ongoing power of water to sustain and strengthen the next era of growth and prosperity in Ontario. Public support for waterpower is high. By its very nature, waterpower offers a number of intrinsic advantages that other forms of energy do not. It provides base load and peak load power, it is the most energy-efficient of all renewable technologies and the most durable of all energy options. It provides unique social benefits such as flood control, water level and flow management and the creation and stabilization of recreational facilities. These attributes speak to the value proposition that differentiates waterpower from other sources of supply. It also serves to demonstrate the value that waterpower offers to Ontario’s future.

A prosperous future for Ontario necessitates that we have in place an energy system that is resilient and reliable, robust and responsive and importantly, affordable. This Strategic Plan focuses on positioning Ontario’s waterpower industry for both short and long-term success. It sets a course of action for industry that will guide our work over the next three-year period and beyond. Our individual industry and collective association interests will focus on maximizing the value of waterpower by sustaining and strengthening waterpower’s place in Ontario. In the pages that follow, you will see that we are aligning our efforts to protect and enhance what we have and to secure and support new opportunities for waterpower in Ontario.

REINVENTING & REINVESTINGONTARIO WATERPOWER ASSOCIATION STRATEGIC PLAN

2019 - 2021

The Plan is deliberately simple, straight-forward and focused on advancing the prosperity of Ontario’s waterpower industry through the efforts of the Association. It will guide annual Business Plans and priorities and serve as the framework for measuring progress.

VISION

OWA MISSION

GOALS

Waterpower is recognized as the most valued electricity source in OntarioAffordable, Reliable, Sustainable.

Inform public policy to maintain, enhance and build opportunityfor members of our industry.

To sustain and enhance Ontario’s existing waterpower assetsTo provide new opportunities for waterpower development in Ontario

OBJECTIVE: Advocacy

Responsible advocacy is at the core of the OWA’s work on behalf of the industry, both with respect to existing assets and new opportunities. Advancing the economic prosperity of generating facilities necessarily benefits the broader industry that comprises OWA’s membership.

The focus of OWA’s advocacy efforts will be as follows:

• Protecting and enhancing the viability of existing operating facilities and contracts;• Ensuring waterpower is valued and has the opportunity to participate in future electricity markets and/or procurements;• Pursuing opportunities to optimize existing infrastructure, through upgrades, retrofits and redevelopments;• Reducing overlap/duplication and costs through regulatory rationalization;• Informing energy planning at the provincial, regional or local scale to ensure waterpower attributes and opportunities are recognized;• Directly engaging in the resolution of individual or collective regulatory issues at a project(s) level; and• Encouraging the advancement of Northern First Nations waterpower partnerships and development.

Inform public policy to maintain, enhance and build opportunityfor members of our industry.

REINVENTING & REINVESTINGONTARIO WATERPOWER ASSOCIATION STRATEGIC PLAN

2019 - 2021

Emphasis will be placed on:

OBJECTIVE: Member Value

At the heart of the ability of the Association to effectively advance the interests of the industry is its breadth of representation through the membership. Providing exceptional member value, then, is absolutely essential to achieving the goals of the Strategic Plan.

• Sustaining and expanding the Power of Water Canada Conference as the single largest hydroelectric event in the country;• Building capacity and skills in member organizations to advance their competitiveness in the Ontario market and beyond;• Facilitating relationships between member companies to create business opportunities;• Providing networking forums to foster the exchange of ideas and experiences; and• Sharing information and knowledge to encourage the application and improvement of best industry practices.

Promotion is the "public face” of the industry, as represented by the OWA. Public opinion influences public policy and, as such, an informed and supportive public is essential to sustaining and expanding the industry.

Investment priorities will include:

• Sustaining the strong public acceptance and support for waterpower across the province;• Fostering champions in local host communities for waterpower production and development;• Informing and educating government agencies and elected officials of all political parties of the attributes,value and significance of waterpower in Ontario’s electricity system mix;• Engaging provincial and local media to provide insight, perspective and information; and• Showcasing industry’s successes and achievements.

OBJECTIVE: Member Value OBJECTIVE: Promotion

REINVENTING & REINVESTINGONTARIO WATERPOWER ASSOCIATION STRATEGIC PLAN

2019 - 2021

FOUNDATION

Underlying the ability of the OWA to facilitate success for the industry is the internal functioning of the Association, the relationships fostered with others and the shape of the sector within the context of the future state of energy/electricity.

The three (3) pillars of this foundation are:

• good governance through an active and engaged Board of Directors;• competent and committed staff, an involved and informed membership and strategic third-party business relationships;• prudent financial management ensuring value for investment and organizational sustainability

1. Organizational excellence as evidenced by:

• industry diversity and inclusion, building the next generation of waterpowerleaders and innovators; and• the electrification of the broader economy including transportation, leveraging the clean, flexible attributes of waterpower

2. Anticipation of and influence on future states or “destinations" both within and beyond the industry, such as:

FOUNDATION 3. Collaboration with those that have shared interests and to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes,

• Indigenous peoples; • Municipal partners; • Industry Associations; and • Environmental NGOs

including:

LUSIONImplementation of this plan will be achieved through the reinvention and reinvestment of OWA’s human and financial resources.By focusing sharply on sustaining and enhancing Ontario’s existing waterpower assets and providing new opportunities for waterpower development, it ensures that each and every investment is measured against those determinants of success.

REINVENTING & REINVESTINGONTARIO WATERPOWER ASSOCIATION STRATEGIC PLAN

2019 - 2021

owa.caAffordable. Reliable. Sustainable.

owa.ca

380 ARMOUR ROAD, SUITE 264PETERBOROUGH, ON K9H 7L7

INFO@OWA.CA 866.743.1500

INVENTING & INVESTINGONTARIO WATERPOWER ASSOCIATION STRATEGIC PLAN

2019 - 2021